Sunday Preview, Saturday Notes

Is it possible that by the end of this campaign, Stu Holden could be the best American outfield player in the Premiership? TSG thinks so.

• Firing it up again early for what should be a dandy. Stu Holden and Bolton host Birmingham–or as I call them–the “next EPL Fulham.”

Love, love Birmingham’s game…and as you know I’ve wanted them to take a shot on Jozy for quite some time.

Oh and lookout Premiership, because Holden-Muamba is your next Beckham-Keane.

• Praying…PRAYING…for West Brom tomorrow. On the road against a wounded Liverpool side. Poor Boaz Myhill is going to need another Tottenham-like performance. Spurs fans remember January of this year, don’t you, when Myhill all by his lonesome preserved a draw for Hull City at White Hart Lane.

• Sunderland welcome Manchester City to the Stadium of Light. If Lee Cattermole is passed fit, the Black Cats will make it a game and might take this one at home.

That said, I am still incredulous that Steve Bruce thought the best way to improve his Anton Ferdinand-led defense was to bring in Titus Bramble.

• I’d love to say I see Everton going on the road and beating up Aston Villa, but David Moyes’ teams are typically slow starters and Villa has got more than a shred of pride. Everton can squeak away with it if–and a big if–they can start to find some real offensive flow.

• Dimitar Berbatov has two goals on the season already. That is astonishing. Oh…and West Ham fans with a scathing indictment of Scott Parker in the Hammers 3-0 loss to Berbatov United. (You knew I was going to call out Parker today…)

• Orebro with a 3-0 win yesterday. TSG asked USMNT Ambassador to Brazil if he had any hockey assists? Ale Bedoya’s response, “Yea one, and had 2 goals called offside but one which was clearly onside!!”

World Cup flashbacks…

MLS:

• TSG reader Adam Bodnar on Twitter, “Cornell Glen has the accuracy of a Stormtrooper.” And that about sums it up as the Quakes cool off in New Jersey, 2-0 to the Red Bulls. (Great line Adam, I’m stealing it.)

• I’m going to reserve judgment on L.A. Galaxy getting barbecued at home by Kansas City. I can understand Bruce Arena working players back into the line-up (Tristan Bowen) and it’s understandable to think a B+ side could prevail at home.

However, you can now say that the Galaxy are in a swoon, not a little slump.

What’s they’re going to need to find–and do not ask Bob Bradley about this–is how to stop giving up that early goal.

After they go down, teams just sit back and are content with the 4 or 5 good chances they can muster through a counter and hoping that they notch one or merely protect their lead.

Arena’s teams are always well-prepared, but this year, even with one of MLS’s best arsenals off the bench, Bruce Almighty is finding it hard to move around the pieces in-game.

Davy Arnaud in the 11th today got K.C. started.

• Just learned this name: Nick Sakiewicz

A free piece of advice for MLS GMs…if Nowak and Sakiewicz are calling, “DON’T PICK UP THE PHONE!”

Justin Mapp hasn't played this good since EA FIFA '06

Justin Mapp nets the game winner for the Union and it’s just another player that the Union mined at a discount rate.

I’d like hire that front office to run my next fantasy draft.

First, there is that Fred-for-Troy Perkins trade. Fred isn’t setting it on fire, but he offers more than Perkins.

Then claiming Sebastien LeToux. Followed up by pulling Justin Mapp off the Chicago Fire scrap heap. Not to mention the Mwanga, McInerney and loanee Torres all contributing.

Seriously, don’t pick up the phone. 2-1 Union over New England.

• I should say TSG was spot-on, chaps, when we suggested that Houston Dynamo make that forthcoming designated player a striker. David Suazo, make it happen. Conor Casey is victorious over Brian Ching, 3-0, in the Discarded Target Man Cup up in Colo.

• Remember those ridiculous rumors about Freddy Montero getting signed by CSKA Moscow last year? First of all, can you actually see Montero in Moscow? C’mon.

He did, however, play up to the level Saturday night snapping home a header at the death as the Sounders prevailed over the Chicago Ljundbergs at home.

And on the headers, is Montero not one of the wiliest headers of the ball for a guy under 6’0”? Shades of Teddy Sheringham in my eyes.

• TSG reader Adam Bodnar on Twitter, “Cornell Glen has the accuracy of a Stormtrooper.” And that about sums it up at the Quakes cool off in New Jersey, 2-0 to the Red Bulls.

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10 responses to this post.

hahahahahaha the discarded target man cup has to be the most epic game name ever. so much truth.

cornell glen makes me want to fight myself for liking the earthquakes. i could feel my soul bleeding during that game. rbny however is gonna be dirt nasty come playoff time, i think they will win it all. henry and angel are clicking, and no team will stop that.

Did you mean a scathing endictment of Jonathan Spector? All the West Ham boards are killing him. To be honest, I think he needs a change of scenery, to both a different team and to central defense. I also think WHU fans are a little unfair to him. He was the guy playing out of position in a defense that leaked goals through the middle last year and he wasnt even on the field for the first two defensive debacles so far this season. Then hes outmatched against Man United (as were the rest of them) and Hammers fans make it sound like hes the only problem? Suspect.

As for Scott Parker, Iain Dale is simply wrong, and not one other poster on that board agreed with him. Parker looked fine, and at times, good. Why the Parker bashing?

Agreed on Spector. He’s good most of the time but seems to come up short up short under pressure more and more often. Change would do him well.

I must have been watching a different Scott Parker feed. I thought he was remarkably atrocious for them yesterday, running himself into his usual rabbit holes, bad decisions at crucial times, regular middle third turnovers. Plays faster than his skills and brain too often to be considered anything less than a middling at best central midfielder IMHO.

I was watching the Houston game and turned it off at the 25th minute. Colorado didn’t beat us… We beat us we just didn’t play. It was frustrating to watch. Because NEVER have I seen such ridiculous defending and substitutions. Alsothe red to Palmer should have also been a red to mastreoni if you ask me. How many players retaliate to their own tackles? None, and if you watch the replay mastreoni was just as guilty of retaliation.

If noone knows about Isaac Vorsah….he’s like the second coming of Chris Samba to the tenth power. I think he’s only 21, mainstay at the back for Hoffenheim. Did play a couple matches for Ghana at the world cup.

I’m surprised no one has proposed Nowak as potential USMNT coach: he’s familiar with the system, successful, gets his teams to play hard and attractively–what are the cons? I can’t see any right now and would love someone to note them, as I’m sure he must have them.